Henderson on top of the golf world, but beware bright spotlight of sudden fame

Somewhere in all this remarkable fame and fortune – she took home a cool $195,000 U.S. Sunday and has made $662,000 this season -- those closest to Henderson must be wary of the Eugenie Bouchard-type mania which can suddenly sidetrack star young athletes.

At times, Brooke Henderson at least sounds like a typical 17-year-old, favouring the expression “pretty cool” to describe so much of her whirlwind rise to the top of the women’s golf world.

Of course, the Smiths Falls phenom is anything but normal on the golf course, and on Sunday became the third youngest player to ever win on the LPGA tour and the first Canadian in 14 years to capture a tour event. The icing on the victory cake came by smashing the Cambia Portland Classic tournament record for low score (minus 21) and by winning in Secretariat-like fashion, lapping the field with an eight-stroke triumph.

Accordingly, she carries all the promise of becoming the poster girl for Canadian golf, even an Olympic medal threat with the 2016 Games looming.

But somewhere in all this remarkable fame and fortune – she took home a cool $195,000 U.S. Sunday and has made $662,000 this season — those closest to Henderson must be wary of the Eugenie Bouchard-type mania which can suddenly sidetrack young star athletes.

In keeping with her hectic cross-continent schedule, only hours after spraying victory champagne around in Portland – she’s underage and can’t legally drink yet – Henderson was front and centre in Vancouver on Monday, the star attraction for this week’s Canadian Women’s Open. She played in a Pro-Am event and was on a media conference call. She’ll turn 18 next month while playing in the Evian Championship in France.

When does the pace and pressure become too much? Is there a need at some point to step away, take a deep breath and enjoy at least a little time as a kid?

“After this tournament, I’m going to spend some time at home to take a break,” Henderson said during Monday’s conference call.

“At the same time, it has been a great journey. None of this would have happened without hard work. I don’t feel any pressure right now.”

While Henderson has clearly proven she can thrive alongside the world’s best players, there is a reason why players can’t become full-time members of the LPGA until they turn 18.

It’s all about a concern of too much, too soon. There is a history of young players – in all sports — who have struggled with the spotlight.

Related

Canadian tennis fans watched with pride in 2014 as Bouchard advanced to the finals of Wimbledon and the semfinals of both the Australian and French Open tennis tournaments in 2014.

She has since been pulled in countless directions and has come back down to earth with a thud this year.

Bouchard has lost her first match in eight of her past 10 tournaments, has slipped to 25 from seventh in the world rankings and is now on her third coach in less than a year.

“It changes your life, because the demands – not only from media, but from sponsors at tournaments – escalate into a totally different realm from what it was before,” Karl Hale, director of the Rogers Cup, said before the Toronto-based tournament earlier this month.

Danielle Nadon, head pro at the Loch March Golf and Country Club and a former CPGA teacher of the year, marvels at what Henderson has been able to accomplish so quickly. She’s ecstatic about the attention Henderson has brought to Canadian golf, illustrating that it is possible to succeed at the sport without spending 12 months a year in Florida.

At the same time, she says the Bouchard story serves as a valuable warning about the dangers of an all-consuming approach.

“People expected too much of her too soon, she became too much of a star,” said Nadon, who has coached for more 30 years.

She believes Henderson has all the skills and make-up to excel, providing the focus remains in the right place: “As long as she keeps playing for the love of it and continues to have the passion.

“We all need balance. Many of us don’t do this as adults. It’s work, work, work. She has to be careful with the demands for her time with endorsements and to have good people to handle negotiations, people to take care of her.”

Essentially, Nadon says, she has to be allowed to act her age.

“She needs to enjoy it. She needs to have a cheeseburger once in awhile, as much as she eats salads all week.”

Nadon says the media, in their rush for instant analysis, also plays a role in adding to the pressure.

“I was watching it all on Sunday and some of the commentators were questioning her, saying: She can’t close out tournaments,” Nadon says, with a laugh. “Can’t close? When has she had the opportunity? She’s 17.”

Nadon believes the presence of Brittany Henderson, Brooke’s older sister and a fellow pro, is a huge advantage in helping her deal with a rather grown-up life.

Brooke Henderson agrees, saying that family support has been vital to her success.

“I owe a lot to my mom and dad for all the sacrifices they’ve made for my sister and I,” she said during Monday’s conference call. “My dad is my coach. He always has been, but he’s much more than that. He’s sometimes my caddy and he’s my manager, but he’s always Dad. And growing up, I always wanted to be like my sister.”

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